Virtual Schoolbag (VSB)

Business managers, bursars and secretaries, governors, headteachers of all primary, all-through schools

Type

Priority / Statutory requirement

Purpose

Action

Deadline

17 Oct 2018

VSB number

2018/264

Title

LA Categorisation of primary and special schools 2018

Summary text

The local authority (LA) has a statutory responsibility to categorise its schools and the purpose of this VSB is to communicate the plans for this process during the autumn of 2018.

Main text

School Improvement Procedures

The LA has previously set out the process of categorising schools within Excellence for All (Appendix 1: School Improvement Procedures). The primary schools’ process in autumn 2016 and 2017 received very positive feedback, especially in respect of the way it dovetailed with school adviser visits and evaluation. This was similar for secondary schools, the key approach being to give weight to the school’s own view, provided all the evidence brought forward supported this.

These visits will take place in the same way as in 2016 and 2017, with a similar reporting format for the ‘Primary School Standards Visit’ report a copy of which is available on Czone here. Schools and advisers will again be provided with a School Performance Data Summary (SPDS) report, which will be updated as new data becomes available.

Headteachers need to add information about outcomes in years 1, 3, 4 and 5 then send it to the adviser, along with the school development plan and self-evaluation document; well before the data and categorisation visit.

Advisers will work with headteachers to triangulate evidence, including internal school progress data, the progress that is evident in pupils’ work and other evidence available. The visit report form should be largely complete by the day of the visit.

The same process is in place for special schools.

Category decisions (October 2018)

After advisers submit their ‘Standards Visit’ reports the LA will carefully consider the information returned. Where required, there will be further dialogue with schools, before a final decision is made.